Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 167 Everyone is doing their own thing
Tianzhou got its name from the fact that four dukes gathered here and divided the land into sections using the character "田" (field).

Inside the Duke of Zhao's mansion, Wang Daoji and his wife and others returned to the house with smiles on their faces.

"We've struck it rich! Not only did more than 10,000 people come, but we also received over 100,000 taels of silver. We're just in time to have a shortage of people for wheat planting this year. We've really hit the jackpot!"

Fang Huairui laughed so hard that the flesh on both sides of her cheeks squeezed together, her face full of smugness.

Wang Daoji maintained some restraint, but his face also showed joy, and he couldn't help but share in that joy.

"You've worked hard over the past year and a half, Madam. From now on, you can focus on the affairs of the manor, and I'll take care of the outside matters later."

Fang Huairui smiled and nodded, then sighed, "Ever since the two dukes got into trouble last year, our Wang and Li families haven't had a good time."

"Fortunately, you later worked hard and gained the Emperor's favor, which allowed you to receive his sympathy on several occasions and overcome the difficulties."

Wang Daoji nodded, acknowledging that he had received a great deal of help.

First, King Wu did not pursue the matter and did not kill the entire royal family because his father surrendered to foreign enemies.

Secondly, he revitalized the Wang family by distributing the women of the Wang family among the servants, making both men and women work together, and keeping the money that should have been distributed among the family members instead of distributing it, instead using it to buy farm tools and hire people to farm and manage the land.

Therefore, he received King Wu's evaluation of him as "pragmatic." When disaster strikes, one should concentrate resources to deal with the trouble, rather than dividing the family and continuing to support a group of useless people out of consideration for face.

King Wu rewarded the Wang family with 100,000 taels of silver, as well as much-needed farming tools and horses. This calmed the morale of the Wang family and let the scoundrels in the Wang family know that the Wang family was still under King Wu's watchful eye, so they dared not act recklessly.

Thirdly, a few days ago, a great flood occurred in a place 500 li away. King Wu relocated 7,000 households, more than 18,000 people, to this place to make up the 10,000 households.

Wang Daoji suddenly said, "This time, people were resettled and redistributed because of a disaster. If a disaster occurs elsewhere in the future, will it be the same?"

After sitting down, Fang Huairui thought for a moment, then casually said, "It should be. We can't live in our old place anymore, so we have to move. Our area is already full with 10,000 households, and there are even a few more. But it's not a big deal. We can arrange marriages so that the two families can become one."

Fang Huairui was thinking about the household registration issue. Ten thousand households meant ten thousand families. Although there were more than ten thousand households now, it wasn't a big deal and could be easily resolved.

King Wu had said long ago that 10,000 households was just 10,000 quotas, and it was not necessary to restrict it to 10,000 households. It would be fine if there were more, as long as he managed it well.

The couple were alone in the room. They had been supporting each other through thick and thin, and their relationship had grown even stronger than before.

The maids and servants were all assigned to work, and they usually poured their own water and didn't need any servants to help them.

With no outsiders present, Wang Daoji shared his thoughts.

"If hereditary territories suffer from disasters and cannot handle them themselves, wouldn't the lineage be broken?"

After Wang Daoji spoke out, he also thought about this matter, not expecting his wife to provide an answer.

Fang Huairui frowned, pondering this rather critical matter.

"Didn't His Majesty go to provide disaster relief?"

Wang Daoji replied directly: "His Majesty did indeed save lives from disaster, but mainly the people, not the officials."

Fang Huairui immediately asked, "What about the officials?"

“I don’t know.” Wang Daoji frowned. “I’ll go to the capital to ask. All I know is that the people from the original places have been relocated to several different locations. I don’t know where the original commanders and officers have gone.”

Fang Huairui was somewhat nervous and anxious. Feeling sorry for her own kind, she couldn't help but pay close attention to the matter, thinking that her own family was also a lord.

"This flood was a natural disaster, not intentional. Nobody wants to encounter something like this."

Wang Daoji did not answer.

He pondered King Wu's decision regarding this matter.

According to King Wu's attitude towards his subordinates, those with ability were promoted, and those without ability were demoted.

“Even if it’s a natural disaster…” Wang Daoji pondered, “It’s a sign of incompetence that King Wu had to personally go to provide disaster relief. If we don’t properly build water conservancy projects and don’t relocate people to higher ground, then we can only accept our bad luck when we are flooded.”

"I remember saying before that if someone dies in a disaster, their household registration will be penalized. People who freeze or starve to death will also be penalized. Losses from war will be compensated. This time, more than 50,000 people died and were distributed to five different places. I'm afraid the death toll will affect the punishment of the lord."

Fang Huairui thought for a moment and quickly nodded, saying, "That's true. With all his subordinates dead, what's the point of being a hereditary lord? Just like the Li family, they have so much land but no one to do the work."

Wang Daoji quickly guessed the general rules of the Wu Dynasty's disaster relief efforts.

The mountain farmers take charge of whatever happens in the areas they govern.

The hereditary lords' territories are for the Xiaozai and their people to handle themselves; King Wu will not interfere in matters here.

The great disaster alarmed King Wu, so he dealt with them. The core principle was that since they had been enfeoffed, they should manage their own territories well.

If you can't manage it, then don't manage it.

Regardless of whether it's a natural disaster or a man-made one, the population within the territory shall be the determining factor.

Especially in some remote places, it doesn't matter how much they act like local tyrants, and they'll take the blame themselves if something goes wrong.

Mountain farmers govern mountain farmers, and Han people govern Han people and Han lands.

The amount of money charged determines the amount of work done; if the mountain farmers don't charge money, they naturally won't take on any tasks.

The room was quiet for a while. Fang Huairui didn't like the silence, so she started a conversation.

"Let's not talk about other people's business for now. Let's take care of our own business as soon as possible. Now that we have 10,000 households, we can manage 500,000 mu of land. It's time to start thinking about the marriages of a few girls."

Upon hearing this, Wang Daoji quickly focused his attention on the matter.

"That's right. They've already wasted four or five years. Now they're practically twenty-year-old spinsters. Go ask them and discuss what to do."

Fang Huairui sighed and said, "What else can we do? We must go to Luoyang to look for them. In our vicinity, apart from servants, there are only the thousand-household households in Qingzhou, Qizhou, and Handan. They all have wives and are frequently transferred."

"In my opinion, the New Year is almost here. I'll go to Luoyang then. Even if I can't find a good family, I can still buy some farming tools and dowries for the girls."

Wang Daoji discovered that there were indeed no good options nearby.

It is indeed difficult for a 21- or 22-year-old girl to get married.

As the couple were talking, they heard the maid's voice from outside.

"My lord, my lady, good news! His Majesty is going to choose a concubine!"

Tong Bao'er shouted happily at the door.

Fang Huairui and Wang Daoji quickly exchanged a glance and both found the best solution.

"Quick, let me see it!" Fang Huairui immediately opened the door and snatched the newspaper from Tong Bao'er's hand.

Tong Bao'er smiled and pointed, "This page is here!"

Fang Huairui quickly glanced at the newspaper and found the section on selecting concubines.

"Offer beauties aged 16 to 28..." Fang Huairui looked at Wang Daoji excitedly, "Our young ladies are just right! I'll go talk to them and tell them not to do any work for a while, so they don't hurt their hands. They can dress up nicely and we'll go to the capital before the New Year!"

Wang Daoji took the newspaper and looked at it carefully, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

There was really no way to settle down the younger sisters in the family. Now that King Wu was choosing a consort, sending them directly into the palace would save them a lot of trouble, and it would also be a good outcome for them.

For Wang Daoji, this was something that had to be done, and he couldn't allow his sisters to object.

Soon Fang Huairui found several young ladies, and without saying anything, she smiled and showed them the newspaper.

Wang Mingyu, Wang Minghui, and the other girls huddled together looking at the newspaper and quickly understood the meaning behind Fang Huairui's smile.

Twenty-one-year-old Wang Mingyu said directly, "Our Wang family has received His Majesty's favor for a long time, and we should repay His Majesty. I am willing to enter the palace to serve His Majesty."

Twenty-year-old Wang Minghui knew very well that if she missed this opportunity, she might end up marrying someone else, or she might stay at home and work her whole life without ever getting married.

Ordinary girls are engaged at fifteen, married at sixteen or seventeen, and have children by twenty.

For the past year and a half, I've been working at home from morning till night, making clothes and doing chores. The maids around me have all been sent away, and it's even difficult to get a cup of hot tea.

Now is the time for my family to tend to the 500,000 mu of farmland. In the future, when I go out to fight and serve in the army, I will also make friends with all kinds of vulgar warriors and barbarians.

I simply don't have a good social circle, so I can't meet any good, high-quality potential partners.

If you don't leave the Wang family now, you'll never have another chance.

"My elder sister has many things to do at home. I am not talented enough to serve others. Besides, the people in the palace are complicated. So let me go to the palace, and my elder sister can stay here to accompany my sister-in-law and brother."

Wang Minghui took the initiative to speak, making it clear that she wanted to enter the palace to serve the emperor.

The two sisters, whose relationship was already strained, have now become even worse.

(End of this chapter)